The 11 games Kabongo has missed this season count against the 23 games he must sit, meaning he has to sit out 12 more games and can return on Feb. 13 vs. Iowa State. Texas had previously self-imposed a 10-game penalty.

"Our thoughts now are with Myck Kabongo and his family," Texas coach Rick Barnes said in a statement Friday night. "We feel for Myck. He made some mistakes early in this process, and he put himself in a tough position. That said, he was truthful and forthcoming when he talked with the NCAA.

"We couldn't ask for a guy with better character in the way he has handled this situation. ... When I talked to him tonight after the decision had been made, Myck's thoughts were only about our team and our program. That is a tribute to Myck and his family, and it tells you everything you need to know about Myck."

The NCAA said that university officials were notified of the decision last week. An appeal was heard on Thursday, and the NCAA decided to overturn the original decision to suspend Kabongo for the entire season.

A 6-1 sophomore from Toronto, Kabongo has not played for the Longhorns in 2012-13. Without him, the Longhorns are 7-4. Kabongo's eligibility has been in question as the result of his travel to the Cleveland area to visit friend Tristan Thompson and work out with trainer Jerry Powell.

The NCAA was looking into whether Kabongo received impermissible benefits from agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James as well as Thompson, a power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers who played at Texas before Kabongo arrived. Thompson and Kabongo have known each other since they were pre-teens.

According to Yahoo! Sports, the severity of Kabongo’s original suspension was the result of inaccurate information he provided to NCAA investigators.

In a similar case in 2009, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant was suspended a year because he was untruthful with NCAA investigators examining his interaction with former NFL star Deion Sanders.

Yahoo! Sports reported that Paul had contacted teams on behalf of Kabongo in advance of last year's draft declaration date to determine where he might be selected. Players are permitted to have relationships with agents but not to accept cash or gifts from them and they may not enter into a formal representation arrangement.

Entering the season, Kabongo was thought to be a potential first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft as he was expected to build off a freshman season that saw him average 9.6 points per game and 5.2 assists per game.

"I appreciate Myck's attitude through all of this," Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "He has cooperated fully with the university and the NCAA and he has absolutely taken care of his business academically. Myck has grown through this experience and continues to be an important part of the team. I know he will continue to be that and we're all looking forward to seeing him back on the court later this season."